Task to Guard
by roadrunner74
Summary: A new threat has emerged, one that is set on destruction. Can Speed put an end to the threat or will it be the one battle he can’t win? First ever Speed Racer fic. So please be kind.
1. Chapter 1

Task to Guard

_**Task to Guard**_

Summary: A new threat has emerged, one that is set on destruction. Can Speed put an end to the threat or will it be the one battle he can't win? First ever Speed Racer fic. So please be kind.

Two men clocked in the shadows; one of the figures is sitting at a desk, and from what can be seen of his face, he is very angry.

"A certain race car driver in this city has become an intolerable nuisance." the man said as he slid a magazine across the desk. On the cover was a photo of Speed Racer as he accepted his trophy for the trans-Africa race that had been three weeks ago. "If he wins the grand prix, it is quite likely that he will discover the secret behind the Phantom Team. How do you propose to handle the situation?"

"Warn him off. It's my experience that a scared man is more useful than a dead one." The second man said, the cockiness apparent in his voice

"A warning... is that not a bit tame?" The first man said, in a sinister tone

"Depends how you do it." The second man said, in a voice that hinted that what he hand in mind to do to Speed would be more than a verbal warning.

"I don't care how you do it just make sure that Speed Racer doesn't finish the race."

"Don't worry sir, if Speed Racer even enters the race he won't survive."

Just outside the room a masked man stood in the shadows, he had heard every word of the two men's conversation. Not knowing what the men had in mind to do to Speed, he knew he had to warn him. As the masked man exited the building, he raised the sleeve of his shirt and raised his wrist towards his mouth. "I need constant surveillance on Speed Racer."

* * *

On the concrete drive outside Pop's Motors garage was a little girl riding a shiny red tricycle, as she rode she made the noise of a racing motor raise and shifting gears as she maneuvered the tricycle on a course drawn on the concrete in chalk.

"Pulling into Victory lane the winner: Victori…" the little girl said as she crossed the finish line. Stopping short, she looked around her surroundings. Noticing a figure standing in the shadows of a nearby tree, she could tell that the man was wearing a mask.

Still staring at the man who hadn't made a movement, she called out "Daddy!"

To the masked man's surprise, Speed came out of the large garage door that had been open. Kneeling down next to the little girl on the tricycle, Speed asked, "What's wrong kiddo."

The little girl didn't say anything, but pointed in the direction of the masked man.

Looking in the direction that she was pointing, Speed saw the man leaning against the tree watching them.

The masked man could hear Speed telling her to go inside with her mother; as he picked her up off of the tricycle and placed her on the pavement, turning her toward the garage.

After Speed watched her go into the garage, he turned his attention to the masked man. Making his way over to the tree, speed noticed a feeling of familiarity of the man; but it wasn't until he was close enough to see the mask that the realization of who the man is sunk in.

"Racer X?"


	2. Chapter 2

_(A/N: Sorry the last chapter was so short, this one is much longer; I set this story in the here and now instead of the 1960s. I also forgot my disclaimer so here it is_: This was written for the soul purpose of my entertainment. I lay no claim on the characters of _Speed_ _Racer, _if you recognize a character it does not belong to me._ Now enough chit chat onto chapter 2)_

* * *

Racer X stood watching the little girl on her tricycle, there was something about the little girl that was eerie familiar; but what that something was he couldn't put his finger on. She was very imaginative to say the least as he watched her compete in her imaginary race.

A small smile came to his face as she began imitating a race announcer as she declared herself the winner. She stopped short, however, and began looking around her as if looking for something. Suddenly she was staring in his direction, then without even turning away she yelled for her father.

Racer X's jaw nearly dropped when he saw an older Speed walk out of the garage and kneel next to the little girl. The last time he had seen his little niece she was only two weeks old, he had left shortly after to do a deep undercover assignment; he couldn't believe that the little girl on the trike was the tiny, bright eyed, newborn he remembered as his niece.

Now he watched as his younger brother send the three year old girl into the garage, Speed then turned towards Racer X and made his way towards him.

"Racer X?" Speed asked, realizing he hadn't seen the Masked Racer for three years.

"It's me, Speed."

"Where have you been?"

"I've been around; I just had to take a break from racing." Racer X said before thinking of a reason why he would have done that.

Not able to tell Speed where he had really been, Racer X knew he had to change the subject. "Your daughter has grown a lot,"

"Yeah, she has. I can still remember like it was yesterday, when we use to bring her to the garage and Trixie would set up her playpen in her office. Now she is running around unable to be in one place very long."

Racer X hid a small smile as he thought about how Speed was the same way when he was little; constantly on the go never stopping for more than a minute. In fact that was why Rex had dubbed his little brother 'Speedy'; it had started as a joke between the two of them. But one day he had slipped and called him that in front of his parents and his father had quickly picked up the habit and soon everyone called little Gregory Racer: Speedy. Later as he got older it was changed to just Speed.

"It looks like she has a racer's soul, like you do; Speed. I watched her as she rode her tricycle."

"Don't let her fool you into thinking that she is only a driver. She also has plenty of navigator skills in her as well. She just might become a navigator instead of a driver." Speed said as he moved Victoria's tricycle to the side of the building.

"What makes you say that? She was showing plenty of skill at riding her course."

"See for yourself; take a really close look at the course she drew." Speed said with a sly grin.

Looking close at the course, Racer X was surprised that it was almost map perfect of the Alpine race course. "She drew this?" Racer X asked, clearly impressed by the detail in his niece's creativity.

"Yeah, she loves taking some of Trixie's old race maps and memorizing them; she, then, draws them out for her to practice with. She's quite advanced for three, but with Trixie being her mother she was guaranteed to have some of her skills."

Racer X, once again hid a small smile, as the two of them headed toward the garage; knowing that his niece would definitely be a part of the racing world as she grew up. It was in her blood; with her father the defending Champion driver and her mother the best navigator/spotter on the circuit.

* * *

Once they entered the garage, Victoria hid behind Pops' enormous build. Pops was standing with Sparky near the front of the Mach 5 looking over the engine.

After exchanging greetings with Pops and Sparky, as Pops told Speed that Trixie had gone into her office to make a phone call; Racer X noticed Victoria peeking out at him from her hiding place behind Pops.

It was then; that he mentally smacked himself for not recognizing her earlier; for her face was a younger version of Trixie's with the exception of her shoulder length, jet black hair and big blue eyes that she had inherited from Speed.

Pops noticed that Victoria was hiding behind him, turning he bent down to her level and she wrapped her arms around his neck and shyly buried her face in his shoulder. "Are you being shy of Racer X, Victoria? he's a friend of your daddy." Pops said, as rubbed her back. "Victoria, could you let go of my neck, please; Grandpops can't breath."

Speed walked over and untangled his daughter's arms from around Pops' neck. Picking her up, he turned toward the masked racer as he spoke to his daughter; as she buried her face in Speed's shoulder. "Do you remember mommy and me telling you about Racer X?" Speed asked, getting a small nod form Victoria. "Can you say hello to him." Speed prompted.

Victoria lifted her head and looked at Racer X, in a very quiet voice she said: "hi, Racer X."

"Hello, Victoria." Racer X responded, with a small smile. Racer X almost chuckled at the sight of Pops and Speed with Victoria; it was easy to see that Victoria had both Pops and Speed wrapped around her little finger.

Once Speed put Victoria down, she went over to a corner of the garage where a small bench was standing with what appeared to be car parts sitting on it. Speed turned to the masked racer "She's very shy around people she's not use to." Speed stated almost reading Racer X's mind, because he had been thinking about how she had hid from him.

"Hey Speed, Get in. I want you to run her a bit. I had to adjust the timing," Sparky said, breaking through Racer X's thoughts.

"Sure." Speed hopped into his car. Before Speed, started the Mach 5; he noticed Victoria was standing next to Pops again.

"Victoria, you know the rule about being near the engine, when it's running. And before you even think about it, don't you dare turn those blue eyes on me, young lady; it won't work."

Victoria looked up at Pops with a pleading look in her blue eyes. Pops looked down and noticed her pleading expression

"Victoria, you know this is one rule we never back down on; it is too dangerous for you to be near an engine when it's running."

Knowing she was fighting a lost battle, Victoria backs away from the car and heads back to the same corner of the garage as before. Once Victoria had moved away, Speed started the Mach 5.

"Hey Speed, rev her up a bit so I can see if the adjustment worked." Sparky said as he looked over the engine.

"Yeah, rev her up daddy," Victoria said from where she sat on a small stool out of the way of possible harm in case something would happen that could harm the little girl. Speed gave a small smile and followed his daughter's orders. As he revved the engine, everyone could hear the cheers of little Victoria.

Turning to watch his niece, it was clear in Racer X's mind that the little girl was in fact a racer; because even during Trixie's pregnancy, Victoria would respond to the distinctive sound of the Mach 5's engine with very rapid movement.

* * *

"She sounds great." A voice said at the door to the garage, as the sound of the motor died down; causing everyone to turn their head in the direction of its owner. In the door to the garage, stood a young man with dark hair and chocolate eyes.

"Uncle Spritle!!" Victoria squealed in delight as she ran to the young man nearly knocking him down as she hugged his legs as far up as she could reach. At 15, Spritle had grown out of his cherubic baby fat and his features were the same attractive features of his two older brothers.

"Hey squirt. What's with the big welcome, you saw me not even three hours ago." Spritle protested good-naturedly, as he tussled her coal black hair affectionately; before lifting her up in his muscular arms to plant a kiss on the top of her head. Spritle then whispered something to her, causing Victoria to giggle.

As he watched Victoria with his youngest brother, Racer X actually had to admit the presence of jealousy at their relationship. Especially the fact that Victoria had hid and barely spoken three words to him, while Spritle had been welcomed with open arms; Racer X knew then and there what he had missed over the years.

"_It's your own fault that Victoria doesn't know who you are." _Racer X mentally lectured himself,_ "Spritle has been around her, her whole life. As Rex you left __**long**__ before she had even been born. Even as Racer X, you left her when she was just two weeks old."_

Ever since Victoria was born, he had seriously questioned his decision to stay away from the family. During the two weeks after her birth, he had continually found himself outside both his parents' and Speed's house; mentally preparing himself to reveal his identity.

Every time, however, he would freeze with one hand on the door handle, the other reaching up to take off his mask. Then the undercover assignment came up and he had once again shut the door the notion of returning home.

He had come back as Racer X because he had been assigned to keep a constant surveillance on Speed. The reason for this was uncertain to him as the chief had been _very_ vague on the details of why a constant watch was necessary; and a feeling of unease settled on him as he thought through what the chief had told him.

His thoughts were interrupted by a new voice in the garage.

"Just look at you, young lady, you're absolutely covered in grease. Has Uncle Sparky been giving you parts to work on again?" There by the door that leads to the offices stood a pretty young woman with green eyes, wearing a Pops motors shirt and a pair of denim shorts; her chestnut hair pulled back into a ponytail.

Looking at Victoria, Racer X noticed the grease smudges on her Go team shirt and shorts, and on her face.

"Trixie, don't blame me for getting her started on working on parts; Pops was the one to start giving them to her. Besides she has to fine tune her talent at mechanics just as she does her driver and navigational skills." Sparky said as he looked up at Trixie from his work on the Mach 5; before turning to Victoria who was standing next to Trixie. "Don't cha, squirt?"

Victoria smiled as she eagerly nodded her head 'yes'. Seeing this Sparky could only smile as he said "See, she likes working on parts, it just another part of her Racer blood line shining through."

"Yeah, but she was supposed to go with me today, and I would have liked for her to have been clean."

"Where are you going?" Speed questioned as he climbed out of the cockpit of the Mach 5.

Trixie turned and looked back at her husband as if he was crazy. "You forgot all about today, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I did. So humor me and refresh my memory."

"Since Pop's motors is one of the main sponsors of the race this weekend, I have to go and make sure that the hotels are ready for the teams, fans, and the ever present press."

"Ahhh, yeah I guess I did forget. But you know when anyone mentions the media my mind blocks it out." Speed said as he remembered her talking about her meetings this morning.

"Yeah, I know you do. And you, young lady, I thought you wanted to go with me today, did you at least finish the part Uncle Sparky gave you?" Trixie asked her daughter, getting a smile and nod from Victoria.

"Well, let's take a look at how you did." Pops said as he picked up the part Victoria had been working on. As he looked over it, his eyes narrowed slightly intently studying the engine part in front of him.

"Sparky, when did you give her this part?" Pops asked as he still stared at the part in his hands.

"This morning, it's the old carburetor that busted last week; why?"

"Take a look for yourself. Did you help her on it at all?" Pops said as he handed Sparky the carburetor.

"No Pops." As he began examining the part, Sparky's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"What is it?" Speed asked, joining them; as Sparky handed the carburetor back to Pops.

"See for yourself, son." Pops said, as he handed Speed a perfectly put together carburetor; while staring at amazement at his young granddaughter, who was at this moment watching her father as he studied her work. "I would almost put it into one of the test motors to see how it performs, she put to together perfectly. But we still have to get in some practice in order to be ready this weekend."

* * *

As they prepared to move out to the track for some test runs, Trixie glanced at her watch.

"Well I have to get going soon, or else it will be really late by time I am done making the rounds. Victoria, do you want to go with me or stay here with daddy?"

"Stay with Daddy." Victoria stated as she took a hold of Speed's hand.

"OK, you be a good girl for daddy, then. I have my cell phone on incase you need to reach me." Trixie said as she bent down to pick up a briefcase by the door to the garage. Speed then wraps his arm around her shoulders, still holding Victoria's hand; he walks Trixie out to her Dodge Charger parked beside the building.

As Trixie was climbing into her car, she stopped. "Speed, if you do run your laps with Victoria; please try to keep it under 300." With that she gives Speed a quick but loving kiss, then gives Victoria a kiss on the top of the head; and gets into her car.

With a wave, she drove off, leaving Speed stunned that she even knew that he had taken Victoria out on the track with him sometimes to teach her about racing, by having her on his lap and strapped in by his own safety harness. (A/N: I used a scene in the movie for this idea, for those who have seen it know which scene I'm talking about; for those who haven't, you can PM me and I'll relay the details of the scene to you.)

* * *

In a dark sedan, parked approximately three hundred yards away, a man dressed in black; was watching Speed, Trixie, and Victoria through high-powered binoculars. He was a driver for the Phantom team. He noticed how the young family had a good time together even at the garage.

The leader of the Phantom team had been telling his drivers that they needed to find Speed Racer's weakness. The man smiled now as he watched the young family outside of the garage. He thought to himself, _Speed Racer's weakness is...his wife and daughter. They obviously mean more to him than even racing._

TBC

_I know it doesn't have much action in this chapter but I needed to establish on how the relationships are between the members of the Racer family._


	3. Chapter 3

Note: my muse for this story has returned, if only temporarily. I split this chapter into two because it is so long due to major reflection on Speed's part.

* * *

As Trixie drove off, Speed was left in shock because she had somehow found out that he took Victoria out on the track with him sometimes. He could vividly remember how upset his mother was when she found out that Rex had done the same thing with him when he was younger.

But what surprised him was the fact that Trixie didn't seem upset, only telling him to keep it under 300 MPH. Smiling he realized that the reason why she wasn't upset was because she did the same thing with her helicopter.

Their daughter not only knew the thrill of being behind the wheel of a racecar, but she also has first hand experience of the handling and maneuvering a helicopter flying over two thousand feet in the air.

Speed could already imagine some of the notes that her teachers would be sending home because of her supposedly over active imagination. Due to her stories she would probably tell of traveling the world racing and fighting bad guys; and of her driving a racecar and flying a helicopter before her peers could ride a bike without training wheels. And of her ability to disassemble and reassemble nearly any part of a car perfectly in record time.

Turning to Victoria, who was still holding his hand, Speed headed towards the garage as he said; "I guess Mommy just gave us permission to go racing. Should we go get ready?" With this, Victoria's face lit up like a Christmas tree as she eagerly nodded her head and said something Speed didn't understand due to the excitement in her voice.

Fifteen minutes later, both had cleaned up and wearing fire suits and were strapping themselves into the Mach 5.

* * *

As the Mach 5 made its way around the track, Speed couldn't help but smile as he glanced down at his daughter. Victoria was following his every movement, her arms resting on his; and Speed could feel her foot movements which told him she was also imitating his own movements as he worked the throttle.

After running ten laps, Speed pulled off the track to the pit area; so Sparky could check over the car to make sure everything was running properly. As Speed slowed to a stop, Spritle came up beside the car. And after Speed unbuckled the safety harness, Speed lifted his daughter off his lap and into his brother's waiting arms so he could climb out himself.

Looking around the pit area, Speed noticed that Racer X had done another one of his famous disappearing acts; and was nowhere to be seen.

"How was it?" Speed asked, jumping out of the Mach 5 and taking his daughter from Spritle, then walking over to Sparky and Pops.

"Even better than yesterday! Your best lap was 9:27; the worst was only 11:36." Sparky exclaimed as he opened the hood of the Mach 5.

"You're doing great, son," Pops said proudly as he patted him on the back. "If you can keep these times, you're sure to win the race this weekend."

"No problem," Speed said confidently as he put Victoria down on the pit wall.

As if appearing from out no where; a man that Speed recognized as Gary Thunder, one of the drivers on the Phantom team; said, "I think you shouldn'teven be _in_ the race."

"Why's that?!" Pops growled before Speed even had a chance to say anything.

With a smile that meant nothing good, Gary looked at Speed and said, "It would just make your life a lot easier if you stayed out of the race."

"Is that a threat?!" Speed asked outraged as he got in Gary's face. Speed didn't like anyone threatening him; but when the threat happened in front of his daughter, the Racer temper came out full force.

Losing his smile, Gary wisely backed a few steps away from Speed. He knew that Speed was a martial arts expert; and with a former wrestling champion standing a few feet away, looking decisively unhappy; and Spritle standing next to the Mach 5 with his arms crossed, showing he was definitely not lacking the muscular strength required for working on cars. Gary knew that if a fight did break out, he would definitely be handed the beating of his life.

'_Maybe confronting Speed directly wasn't such a good idea.'_ Gary thought to himself before he said, "Let's just say that if I were you, I wouldn't be in the race."

"Well..." Speed said in a determined voice, "I'm going to be in the race and you can go tell your leader that I don't back down from threats."

"That's right," Pops said calming a bit. "You can't scare_ my _son."

"We'll see," Gary said putting on his sunglasses. "We'll see," he repeated just before he turned and left.

As he left, Gary's gaze rested on Victoria for a few seconds; an idea forming in his head as he studied her features. He knew what the next course of action would be and was determined to be ready when the opportunity presented itself.

"Who does he think he is?" Speed asked disgusted as Gary left the track. "Did he really think he could scare me into quitting the race?"

Closing the hood of the Mach 5, Sparky said, "The truth is, they _are _scared of _you_."

"Sparky's right," Pops said now even prouder of his son.

"Well they need to just shut up and drive. Prove who's better on the track." Speed said, before he realized what he had said. When he did, the phrase 'shut up and drive' made him frown.

'_Where had that come from?'_ Speed asked himself, even though he already knew the answer. It had been one of Rex's challenge phrases; used mostly to challenge only one driver, because Tara Carson never could back down from a challenge from Rex. It had been their phase between them to issue a challenge when the other would begin talking about a victory.

The rivalry that existed between the two of them was legendary; the WRL had not seen a rivalry as intense and challenging as theirs before or since then. They had fought with each other on the track for almost a year, before they had decided to give a try at being a team for a road rally in Brazil. The race was rarely broadcasted as it was a small rally, but it did require team driving; so they had joined forces for this one race all the while remaining fierce rivals.

Rex and Tara never said just what happened, but at some point during the trip, they had decided that they could work together better than they could fighting each other.

While they kept the growing relationship a secret, much to the press's dismay, they had managed to work as a team and look out for each other on the track; All the while keeping the competitive front and rivalry at full force. But to anyone who _really_ knew Rex, it was obvious that he was happier than what he had ever been; and it seemed as if everything in his life had improved almost 100 percent.

Shaking his head, Speed knew he needed to focus on his practice time or he would never be able to get the practice he needed for Saturday's race.

* * *

Later that evening after practice the aerodynamically sleek white racing machine with the red "M" emblazoned on its hood was creeping along the quiet suburban street as it turned into the driveway of a sprawling ranch next to the home of Mom and Pops Racer on the same cul-de-sac.

Once Speed pulled the car into the driveway, he allowed Victoria to hit the button to open the garage door. When the door opened, Speed drove in and parked next to Trixie's car.

After vaulting over the driver's side door, Speed goes over to the passenger side where Victoria has already unfastened her seatbelt. Once Speed got around to the passenger side of the car, Victoria stood on the seat so Speed could help her 'jump' over the car door like he does.

Once in the door, Victoria heads towards the stairs to go up to the main level of the house; while Speed stops in the laundry room knowing Trixie would want to wash Victoria's grease covered clothes that are in the small duffle bag he's carrying. Victoria always gets dirty at the garage so Trixie had begun taking a change of clothes for her to change into after practice.

After he had the clothes placed in the basket where Trixie placed the clothes that needed to be pretreated before being washed; Speed heads upstairs to join his family.

Speed stood at the doorway to the kitchen for a second before he decided to make his presence known. He was perfectly content in watching Trixie making supper as Victoria sat on a stool telling Trixie about today's practice.

Even after all this time, Trixie still could capture his interest in a way nothing else in the world could. He loved her and his daughter more than anything, and he knew she felt the same about him. A sad smile came to his face as Speed thought about how much Trixie had actually given up for him.

Speed knew Trixie's family would have preferred if she had left him to go to the University. She almost had; if it hadn't been for Sparky finding out when her bus was leaving for him and him stopping it about a mile out of town.

Trixie's father had never fully supported the relationship between his only daughter and the young racer. But he had resided himself to the fact that Trixie was dating Speed through out their high school years; and hoped that when Trixie left for the University that things would change.

So when he found out that she had decided to stay with Speed; he had been furious. So much in fact that he had even told Trixie: if she left with Speed, then she had better never come back.

Her response was a final look over her shoulder at her family, followed by the slam of the door behind her as she left. Even now, almost seven years later, Trixie had not spoken to her family. And even though she never admitted it, Speed knew the separation had hurt her deeply.

But Speed also had to admit to himself that: Mr. Fontaine had been wrong when he had said that the life Trixie had chosen would lead nowhere; since neither Speed nor Trixie had planned to go to the University. The Pops Racer Motors' racing team was completing its unprecedented sixth winning season; and both the team and the company were financially swimming in black ink. They had a great marriage; and a beautiful little girl, who would be four in less than five months.

'_If our life isn't a success, then I don't know what is.'_ Speed thought to himself; as he watched Trixie and Victoria in the kitchen; their laughter sounding like music to his ears. Deciding to make his presence known, Speed entered the kitchen.

"Hey there," he said, leaning against the countertop.

Trixie turned around and flashed him an adorable smile, "Hey there yourself, superstar. How was practice, today?"

"It was alright, did have a few good times; but the Mach 5 still needs a bit of adjustments done before Saturday." Speed said, as he quickly snatched one of the carrots that Trixie was preparing to slice for the salad.

While he did that, he watched Trixie intently. He knew what was coming next. So when Trixie raised a finely arched eyebrow in his direction, Speed laughed slightly. He had known that was coming, it was part of the reason why he had snatched the carrot in the first place.

Speed returned the look with one that could best be described as a little boy who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Causing Trixie to laugh at the look, before saying, "I talked to Mom today, she says she will be back tomorrow." The Racer matriarch was currently visiting a relative who had just recently had a baby.

"I thought she would be gone for a little while longer. I mean Jessica only had the baby three days ago."

"I know; that's what I had told her. But she insists on being back, tomorrow." Trixie said as she added the carrots that she had just sliced to the bowl with the rest of the salad.

"I know Pops and Spritle will be glad to hear that. I think they definitely need to work on their domestic skills, so they don't burn the house down trying to cook. Fortunately it's been warm enough that they can use the grill to cook dinner this time."

"Well, we did tell them that they are welcome over here for dinner. But stubborn Racer pride prevails again. They said they can manage however bad things may be. But I already took over some soup for them to heat up later, if they want it."

Trixie paused for a moment as she finished with the salad and placed the knife into the sink beside her; then turning to Speed said. "And speaking of dinner, ours is almost ready; so would you do me a favor and take your daughter and the two of you wash up for dinner."

Speed lifts Victoria off the stool she is sitting on; once her feet are on the floor Victoria takes off running as she says "Race ya to the bathroom."

"No fair you got a head start." Speed called after her as he began his chase after his daughter; leaving a laughing Trixie behind him as Trixie puts the finishing touches on their dinner.

* * *

Meanwhile in an office across town…

The sound of objects crashing into walls of the office upstairs didn't even draw the attention of the people working in the building. For they all knew where it came from, and to ignore it; as the source of the noise was a familiar one.

"Now just calm down." Inspector Detector stood by the window in a large office. For the moment, he preferred to stay well out of the way of the random objects Racer X tossed every few minutes in his anger.

Racer X does seem to calm slightly. But he continues to pace around the room like a caged animal, silently simmering in anger; waiting for his moment to lash out again with the next object that crosses his path.

Inspector Detector is probably one of the few people who can read Racer X's face like a book, even with that mask on. Racer X might have developed a poker face that could win him a fortune in Vegas, but he knows that Racer X's hurting.

He knows the expression Racer X has on now as well, a mixture of hurt and anger. And the phrase 'don't kill the messenger' takes on a whole new meaning as Inspector Detector watches X pace around the room.

Not for the first time, the inspector is deeply intimidated by Racer X. The man was known as a loose cannon. These small explosions of his temper, while rare, were infamous for being violent. Not that he didn't have a good reason to be angry this time, but the way he would release the anger did nothing more than intimidate everyone at the CIB headquarters.

"I understand."

"No. You don't." Racer X snorts, laughing. That was blunt, but true. The chief inspector of the CIB did not fully understand the turmoil in the masked man in front of him.

"You know we did everything to try to bust John Sturges. The jury even handed down a unanimous verdict. However Sturges' lawyers found a pinprick of a loophole in the procedures of the trial, and were able to get the verdict overturned…"

Inspector Detector is cut off by the resounding crash of a book thrown roughly at the wall. The inspector wiry notes that the reinforcement the maintenance staff had added to the walls seemed to be doing their job; as there is only a slight crack in the wall from the hard hit.

Finally X seemed to calm down enough that he sat down in a chair at the far end of the office. Inspector Detector watches as X pulls out what appears to be a slip of paper from a pocket in his suit, and stares at it for a few minutes.

Eventually, he regained his voice, "I just don't want the past to repeat itself," He said, "I want Speed to have a chance at as normal of a life as his career allows. He has everything I could ever wish for him, and more: A wonderful family, talent, a beautiful wife who loves him with all her heart…" X's voice falters slightly as he adds. "…And a daughter with the talent to be a triple threat in the WRL."

The inspector notes the slight change in X's emotions at the mention of Speed's family and decides to try to get him focused on his job. "Do you think Speed would be a target for Sturges? Because Intelligence hasn't found any evidence that Sturges would go after Speed, or anyone in the family for that matter."

"You know as well as I do why Sturges would go after Speed. So we need to locate Sturges and figure out his next action and prevent it before it happens."

"We have people keeping constant watch on Speed and his family; as well as almost an entire unit assigned to the task of locating and monitoring Sturges, as well as any associates that he may be in contact with. We're going to do everything we possibly can to make sure that history does not repeat it's self." With a reassuring clap on X's shoulder, Inspector Detector turned to leave the room.

Once the inspector left the office, Racer X picks up a remote control from the table in front of him. Pointing it at a monitor on the wall, the screen comes to life and the sound of a small child laughing filled the room. Closing his eyes, X allows his mind to drift back to the happier times of the video he's watching.

TBC

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* * *

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_A/N: This chapter took me FOREVER to write, don't worry I haven't given up on my story: Where the Heart Is; I am just having creative differences with my co-writer so I decided to post a chapter that was completely written by me. I also have a poll on my profile so stop by and check it out and cast your vote. _


	4. Chapter 4

_I actually made my deadline and had a chapter posted before Dec. 7. So I ask for reviews as it will make a very good birthday present to me. _

_My muse has continued; only it has given me a change that needs some clarification. In this story: there is a nine year age difference between Rex and Speed; and a ten year age difference between Speed and Spritle. Rex is thought to have died in a car crash and never changed teams or ran away. So this story is unique in that Rex actually knew his youngest brother. I've also gone with the movie on how Sparky is about the same age as Rex; and started out as Rex's friend and mechanic._

* * *

After dinner, Trixie gave Victoria her bath, as Speed cleaned up what little mess there was. After Speed finished loading the dishwasher, he went up the short flight of steps that leads up to the bedrooms.

Speed peeked into Victoria's room, where Trixie was engaged in reading their little girl a story. Victoria had her head leaning against Trixie's shoulder as they sat together in the rocking chair that they hadn't yet taken out of Victoria's room. Mainly because Victoria loved to have one of them sit in it with her and rock her sometimes.

He grinned as he saw Victoria had Bunny tucked under one arm. The white stuffed rabbit had been delivered to their house on Victoria's third birthday. The package had no return address or card of any kind to offer a clue as to where it had come from, or who had sent it. If anything, the mystery surrounding how the cuddy rabbit had shown up had only added to Victoria's love of her bunny. While Bunny no longer accompanied her to the garage and the track, she still kept him close at night; in fact, she couldn't sleep without him.

Walking into Victoria's room, Speed came to a stop beside the rocking chair. Watching Victoria yawn, Speed said; "I think it's somebody's bedtime."

"I think you're right." Trixie said as she closed the book.

Victoria didn't say anything, only reaching her arms up to him to be picked up. Speed reached down, swung her into his arms; her tiny arms wrapped around his neck, as her short legs settled on his hips.

"Do you want Daddy to tuck you in, Tori?" Trixie asked as she stood up from the rocking chair.

Victoria only nodded her head, before lying sleepily against Speed's shoulder.

"Well then I'm going to go take care of a certain little girl's grease covered clothes." Trixie said as she tickled Victoria's side bringing forth a laugh from her daughter. "Good night, Tori." Trixie said as she planted a kiss on Victoria's head.

"G'night, Mommy." Victoria said as she once again laid her head against Speed's shoulder. Trixie left the room just as Speed turned towards Victoria's bed.

As Speed laid Victoria down in her bed, Victoria looked up at him with a small pleading pout and asked "Pooh-Bear song?"

Speed had known that was coming, as it did every night. Trixie read her bedtime story; but Victoria always wanted Speed to sing her lullaby every night. Speed pulled up her blankets and tucked Victoria and Bunny in. And with an indulging smile, Speed said, "Only if you sing it with me."

"_Christopher Robin and I walked along  
Under branches lit up by the moon  
Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore  
As our days disappeared all too soon  
But I've wandered much further today than I should  
And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood_

_So help me if you can  
I've got to get back  
To the House at Pooh Corner by one  
You'd be surprised  
There's so much to be done  
Count all the bees in the hive  
Chase all the clouds from the sky  
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh_

_Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do  
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose  
He came to me asking for help and advice  
And from here no one knows where he goes  
So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there  
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear_

_So help me if you can  
I've got to get back  
To the House at Pooh Corner by one  
You'd be surprised  
There's so much to be done  
Count all the bees in the hive  
Chase all the clouds from the sky  
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh_

_So help me if you can  
I've got to get back  
To the House at Pooh Corner by one  
You'd be surprised  
There's so much to be done  
Count all the bees in the hive  
Chase all the clouds from the sky  
Back to the days of Christopher Robin  
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin  
Back to the days of Pooh"_

Victoria's eyes had begun to drift shut as Speed finished the song. Speed leaned down and kissed Victoria on her forehead. "Good night, Tori." Speed said as he smoothed down a few stray locks of her black hair before getting up from the bed. "G'night Daddy." Came the mumbled response.

Victoria snuggled into her bed, as Speed turned out the light. Before he walked out the door, he heard Victoria's small voice say something that causes him to stop in his tracks. Victoria had turned towards her wall where she had photos hanging; one of them was of Rex and Speed when he was younger, she stared at the photo for a few moments before saying: "G'night Uncle Rex, I love you."

Speed heads down the hallway and down the stairs. Going into the study, Speed sits weakly into his chair. The way Victoria had said Good night to Rex had opened up a multitude of emotions. But what had really struck Speed was the sincere tone in her voice; it was as if she had said it every night and was as natural to her as saying good night to him and Trixie.

Speed's eyes drift over the mantel, looking closer he notices a photo sitting next to his and Trixie's wedding picture. In the photo was Rex, in his racing suit, standing next to the bright red Mach 4. Beside the Mach 4 was a dark blue and silver T-180, better known as the Blue Star. In Rex's arms was a young woman with honey blonde hair and blue-green eyes; she was wearing a dark blue racing suit. Each had a large smile on their faces as if they had just won the biggest race in the world.

Getting up from his chair, Speed walks over and picks up the photo and stares intently at it. As he gazes into the faces of the two people who had mostly inspired his racing career, Speed realized why Rex and Tara had been occupying his mind lately. Tomorrow was the anniversary of the car accident that had killed both of them. That was why Mom had been insistent about being back, tomorrow.

It was a yearly tradition to go to the cemetery as a family to pay their respects, even after all these years. It was important to the family to never forget them. After they went to the cemetery, the family would often converge in the living room at Mom and Pops' to watch old home movies or old race replays of Rex and Tara.

Both had an extremely competitive spirit; and the races they were in, the two of them crossed the finish line only seconds apart. The old adage 'anything you can do, I can do better' applied to the two of them. When they got together anything and everything became a competition.

And even though they were secretly dating, they had been able to keep up all pretenses of a bitter rivalry. But they also looked out for each other on the track. Speed had often been the messenger of their notes warning each other if a rival driver had a plan to go after one of them because he could slip through the crowd without ever being noticed.

Many people had been betting on who would take the other out of a race first. So when Rex and Tara had decided to break ranks and publicly announce their engagement; needless to say the entire racing world was shocked off its axis. Rex and Tara had married only two months before the car accident, only two weeks after Rex's twentieth birthday.

Both of them had a drive to leave a legacy that would forever be remembered on the track. They had achieved it, the race this weekend was a race held in honor of Rex Racer and Tara Carson-Racer. That was why Speed had the passionate drive to win this race; it was his way of keeping the memory of his brother and Tara alive.

Speed allows his mind to drift back to the night of the accident. Rex and Tara had been away for the week at a race with some friends. The weather had been rainy that day, as it had been that entire week; and Speed had hoped it wouldn't rain out the race the next day. It the Junior League Championship race and Speed was a favorite to win.

Then at 9:17 at night, Speed knew he would never forget that time, the phone rang. Pops had answered the phone, only to have to jerk the receiver away from his ear at the frantic voice coming through. One that even Speed could clearly hear, even though he was on the other side of the room.

It was Sparky's voice and he sounded desperate; and Speed knew it meant nothing good. For Sparky was always the coolheaded mechanic and spotter; never losing that cool attitude that he always seemed to have, as he lead Rex to many victories.

As Speed watched, the color had completely drained from Pops' face. So rapidly, in fact, that Speed had looked down at the floor; sure that he would see a pool of blood at Pops' feet. Speed moved closer to Pops, so he could hear more clearly what Sparky was saying. Deep in his heart, he knew something bad had happened to Rex. But nothing could have prepared him for just how bad it was.

Apparently, while traveling back from the race, the road that they were supposed to take had been closed due to the rain. They had stopped for dinner, and Rex had looked over the map for a different route; and the one they found was a curvy, hilly road that ran next to a river.

It had started to rain again, as they got to a bridge that was on a curve, adding to the danger of the road at night. Rex and Tara were in Rex's hotrod in front of Sparky and some other friends. As Rex started to try to slow down as he went down the hill, his brakes failed; causing Rex to lose control and crash off of the bridge.

Some said it was just an unfortunate mechanical failure in Rex's car that caused the accident; but Speed knew that wasn't true. Rex had designed the car himself, had taken great pride in the building and maintaining the car to live up to not only the safety standards for street cars, not even the safety standards of the WRL, but the highest standards of Pops Racer, and beyond.

After four days of searching, the police only found one of Rex's shoes, his wallet, and Tara's purse. The police said that the chances of them being alive after four days without a sign of them were slim to none. The river had been at flood stage when the accident happened, so it was likely that was why they couldn't find the bodies.

The search was officially called off two weeks after the accident; after the police had finally found what was thought to be their remains. Rex and Tara were declared dead; and the family was given a chance to grieve for the loss. They had, had a memorial service for both Rex and Tara; with them buried side by side.

Speed was lost in his own thoughts until he felt Trixie's hand on his shoulder. "It's tomorrow, fourteen years." Was all Speed could get his voice to say, mentally shrugging off the fact that it lacked clarity and coherence. Trixie leans on Speed's shoulder as her hand came to rest on the side of his neck; offering silent comfort to her husband as he reflected on the loss of his brother and sister-in-law. Not that she hadn't been reflecting on the same thoughts that Speed was.

Trixie had been taken into the eclectic group that was the Racer family from almost day one of her relationship with Speed. Trixie had been one of the few people that had known about Rex and Tara's relationship during the early days; when they had pretended to hate each other on the track. Tara had taken the, then, nine year old girl under her wing. And Trixie had come to think of the older girl as her own sister; and looked up to her with the same adoration that Speed had looked to Rex.

Trixie could still vividly recall the days spent at the Racer house, back when Rex and Tara were still alive; when she and Tara would often help Mom in the kitchen fixing snacks for everyone as they laughed and talked about what Speed had then called 'mushy girl stuff'.

And when the Racers would take her with them to the track, Trixie could remember watching Rex or Speed practicing; as she and Tara formed a two person cheering section that Rex would swear could rival the volume of a packed arena. And when Tara and Rex would race each other, even though it was only practice; they drove as if they were in the final lap of the Grand Prix, and every second they could put between each other the better.

And Rex had saved her life the day Speed had first brought her to his house. Trixie is sure that day will forever be etched into her memory. It had been the day that the bomb had come. She had accepted a ride from the boy all the other girls in her class had thought was dumb; but Trixie had thought he was cute. She had run after him when he had crashed, to make sure he was alright; and fell in love with a nine year old boy in a rose bush. When he had offered the ride to go to his house to see his car collection she had eagerly accepted.

She had been with Speed when the man in the Fenderson had stopped them, He had told Speed he was a fan of Pops and asked if Speed could deliver a package to Pops as the driver was in a hurry. Trixie could remember how fast Rex had moved as he wordlessly broke the mop handle and put the bomb in Speed's go-kart and sent it down the driveway moments before it exploded.

Trixie still remembers the day of the accident like it was yesterday. She had been at Speed's house that day, as she was everyday. They had split the day between watching the replays of the race that Rex and Tara had drove the day before and Speed going over his pre-race day checks of his sprint car for the championship race the next day.

When Speed had called her that night, Trixie had known immediately that something was wrong just by the sound of tears in Speed's voice. In between sobs, he had told her what he knew of the accident. Trixie had begun crying herself, when Speed had said that the rescue teams couldn't find Rex or Tara.

With an uneasy feeling in her stomach, she had tried to comfort Speed by saying that no one could find them because it was dark, and when morning would come they could possibly find them.

It took two weeks, before the rescue teams found the bodies. Trixie believes that the news images of the police bringing the body bags up the riverbed will forever be burned into her brain.

At that moment, Speed must have been thinking the same thing; because Trixie feels his grip tighten. As Speed held her close, Trixie felt tears begin to soak through her shirt; and the slight shaking sobs that matched her own.

* * *

Meanwhile a sleek yellow and black racing machine made its way down a winding dirt road, as the setting sun painted the sky bright shades of orange, pink, and purple. Racer X was miles from town, to the point that he couldn't even see the city anymore.

He made the final turn and pulled off the road. Getting out of the Shooting Star, Racer X climbed the old concrete steps that went up the hill. When he got to the wrought iron fence, he paused for a moment to survey the area.

It is a quiet, serene scene before him. The dogwood trees are in all their fall glory, as they had changed to various shades of red. The rose bushes still were in bloom. And frogs and crickets could be heard singing by the small creek on the other side of the tree line; and the soft sound of the gurgling water is like a soothing lullaby. The quietness of the area did help in soothing his aggravated nerves.

X slowly pushed open the gate, and made his way up the dirt path. Stopping at a spot under a dogwood tree, X kneels down to brush a few mauve leaves from the tiny, gray head stone in front of him.

As X slowly traces the words on the stone with his fingers, a thousand images assaulted his brain; as tears welled up in his eyes. He tried to fight them, a desperate attempt to keep the vow he had made to himself that he would not weep. But as he felt a few stray tears slip from his eyes, Racer X reaches up and removes his mask. He remains silent as he places two roses on the stone: one is white, the other is lavender.

Finally finding his voice, X says "Happy Birthday, Sweetie; I love you."

Racer X sits there for a while longer, enjoying the quiet of the evening, before realizing that darkness had fallen. Getting up from his position on the ground, X puts back on his mask. With a final lingering glance back, X heads back to the Shooting Star. Getting in the car, X starts the motor; but just sits in the car for a moment listening closely to everything around him; as he takes a few moments to collect himself.

Putting the car into gear, X launches the Shooting Star down the road.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Note: Sorry, no action yet. But I know better than to argue with the muse and plot bunnies.

This chapter came to me late one night and is dedicated in memory of my best friend and sister for her birthday. I still miss you Angel girl. But you've gone to a better place.

* * *

It was close to midnight when Spritle clicked on the light that was next to his bed. Opening the drawer of his night stand, he pulls out a small book from the drawer. Inside the front cover were two pictures he had placed there a long time ago.

Holding one of them into the light, he studies the photo intensely. The photo was old, worn and had become tattered around the edges and had suffered a few bends over the years. This did not bother him though; as the central figures of the photo were still relatively untouched, and they were all that mattered.

In the photo was Rex with Speed standing on one side; Tara on the other, with one year old Spritle in her arms. They were standing in front of the sign for the hotel in Fuji; obviously it had been taken when they had arrived in Fuji for the race. It had been one of the last races that they had all traveled to together; as Speed often had school, and Mom was not too fond of the idea of traveling with a one year old toddler.

The other picture was one of Rex standing in a tux with Spritle in his arms. Beside Rex was Tara wearing a long white dress. They each a smile on their face as they appeared to be laughing, oblivious to the camera; Spritle always wondered what they had been laughing about. Had it been something he did? Had Rex just told a joke? Or did something happen off camera that had caused their laughter?

If he could, Spritle would go back to that moment just to be able to remember what it felt like to be held in his oldest brother's arms, to hear Rex and Tara's laughter. To be able to know what Rex's heart sounded like as he laid his head on Rex's chest as his brother held him tight. To know what Tara's perfume smelled like, what it felt like when she would tickle his stomach.

For Spritle had virtually no memories of his own of Rex and Tara, most of what he knew of them was what he had seen on the old home movies. It was something that he always felt robbed of. Speed could talk about his memories of their older brother and sister-in-law; but Spritle had been too little to have formed any.

Flipping to the back page, Spritle removes another picture from the book. This one had been cut from a racing magazine; it was a memorial montage of pictures of Rex and Tara. His favorites were the close ups of Rex and Tara in their cars, preparing for the start of a race.

Suddenly he feels a wetness on his cheeks. Reaching up, Spritle brushes the tears away. He stares at his hand in puzzlement, he hadn't cried about the accident since it happened. Spritle had developed the Racer tendency to keep his emotions buried inside.

He knew most people would say to just get over it and move on with life, but most people didn't understand the way Spritle felt about the deaths of Rex and Tara. True, he hadn't been more than two when they were killed; but of what he could remember, he had been very close to both of them.

Deciding that trying to sleep is a useless task, Spritle sits up and swings his long legs over the edge of the bed. Getting up from the bed, he goes to his closet and grabs a pair of leather racing pants and puts them on. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulls on his racing boots. Grabbing his leather jacket that is draped over his desk chair, he puts it on, on his way out the door.

Spritle stops in the kitchen and scribbles a quick note to Pops, putting it on the refrigerator where the family always left notes for each other. Spritle enters the garage and makes his way over to a dirt bike parked in the corner.

Spritle rummages through one of the tool boxes along the wall. Finding the ratchet and socket he wanted, Spritle grabs a piece of piping from the tool bench. Walking over to his dirt bike, Spritle expertly attaches the piping onto the exhaust pipe.

Opening the large garage door, Spritle carefully moves his bike outside. Parking the bike out side the door, Spritle goes back into the garage to put the tools back. Spritle grabs his helmet and gloves from the tool bench, and closed the garage door on his way out.

Getting on his bike, Spritle puts on his helmet and gloves before inserting the key and kick-starting the motor. He notices that the silencer he invented for his bike is working perfectly as very little noise comes from the bike. Knowing he has to be back before dawn, Spritle puts his bike in gear and rides down the drive way, turns towards the city, and rides off into the night.

* * *

That night Sparky couldn't sleep. He didn't even have to wonder why, he knew. Speed's comment on the track had opened so many memories of Rex, that he had a hard time thinking about anything else the rest of the day.

Sparky could remember when he first met Rex on the third day of school their seventh grade year. He had been new to the high school. And the facts that he wasn't the greatest in academics; and couldn't care less about any of the traditional school sports, made the situation a recipe for disaster. Adding in the fact that he had been short and small for his age didn't help in the situation.

Sparky could still vividly remember how he had meet Rex and Hank. The day had been as the past two days before; the school bullies had been in the process of picking on their favorite target. As they were about to stuff him in his locker again, a voice snapped through the hall way like a whip.

"_Put him down…NOW!"__ Turning his head, Sparky could see two boys about his own age standing beside one another. _

"_Take it easy; X-man, Hawk; we're just kidding around with him." _

"_Well, Hank and I are tired of seeing you picking on the new guy." __One of the boys said. _

"_What do you two plan to do about it?"__ Tony, the head bully, asked, as he let go of Sparky. He and one of the other bullies named Bobby made a slow approach towards Rex and Hank; sizing them up, like a fighter in the ring. _

_All Sparky could do is watch in amazement, as both Hank and Rex took an instinctive fighting stance. While the two boys were taught not to intentionally start a fight, they knew if it was what the situation came to they were definitely going to end it. _

_Tony threw his first punch that Rex easily blocked, as he did the second. After the third punch, Rex delivered a solid right cross that sent Tony to the ground._

_Hank had no trouble knocking Bobby to the ground either._

"_Alright. Who's next?"__ Rex asked as he raised his fists again. Another bully attacked only to suffer the same fate as Tony and Bobby. _

"_Anybody else?" __Hank asked. When none of the other bullies stepped forward, he added: __"Then get lost." _

_After the bullies left, helping their fallen comrades, Rex and Hank approached Sparky._

"_Thanks, if you hadn't come when you did; I'd be locked in my locker by now."_

"_Not a problem. As I said, we're tired of seeing kids getting picked on just because their new. Tony and his gang of thugs won't be bothering you anymore or they'll have to deal with us. By the way, my name's Rex Racer;"__ One of the Boys said, then made and indicating gesture towards the other. __"This is my cousin, Hank. And Welcome to Willow Valley."_

It had seemed as if the three boys had clicked at that moment, and from then on the three were the best of friends.

And when Rex had begun to become interested in Tara, Sparky had been the first to know about the budding relationship. Sparky would never forget the shock he felt when he heard from Rex's own mouth that Rex had fallen for the girl that at the same time the media had been reporting as Rex's enemy.

When Rex began bringing Tara to the Racer house, Sparky had seen why Rex had developed an interest in her. She had every bit of the courage and determination that Rex had. Her knowledge of the mechanical aspects of racing was impressive. And, unlike most girlfriends, Tara fit in the three-some and became one of Sparky's best friends. The group of friends was always together until the accident separated them for the last time.

Sparky believes he will never forget the images of seeing the accident, and the feeling of helplessness he felt when he as he tried to hold Hank back from diving into the water to try to save Rex and Tara. Or the gut-wrenching feeling he had as he called Mom and Pops to tell them about the accident, as one of the others in the group called for help.

He had been on scene when the bodies were found. Those images will forever be burned into his brain as he stood on the other side of the tape seeing the police and rescue workers bring the body bags up the bank of the river, knowing in his heart that it was his friends in them.

With tears in his eyes, Sparky stretched out on his couch and soon fell into a fitful slumber.

* * *

The hotel room was quiet as Mom Racer tried unsuccessfully to sleep. After three days visiting her niece who had just welcomed her first child; a million memories had flooded her mind.

It's funny how an event can bring memories so unrelated to the surface. Having not seen her niece for quite some time, Jessica's slight resemblance of Tara was startling to say the least, with her blonde hair and bluish-green eyes. And it didn't help that tomorrow was the anniversary of Rex and Tara's deaths. A tear escaped her eye as memories of the accident still struck a nerve with the family.

Glancing toward the bedside table, the dim light of the room illuminated a small picture frame that she had set there. The photo had to be a favorite of hers as it had been a complete surprise for her and Pops wedding anniversary the month before the accident.

As Mom looked at the photo, a memory, so sacred to her mind hit her like a speeding truck.

_Fourteen years earlier:_

_Mom opened the door to Rex's room to tell him that supper was ready. _

_He is sitting on his bed with his head bent down._

"_Something wrong? You've seemed a little preoccupied lately."__ Mom asked as she closed the door and sat on the bed next to her son. _

"_I've got a lot on my mind, I guess."__ Rex said as he straightened up and ran his fingers through his dark brown hair. _

"_You know if you want to talk about anything; I'm willing to listen."__ Mom said as she ran her hand across Rex's shoulders._

"_Mom, can I ask you a question?"__ Rex asked. _

"_You just did; but you can ask another."__ Mom replied, in a teasing voice that she used with both Rex and Speed when they were little when they would ask that same question. _

"_How did you know Pops was __**the one**__?" _

_With a knowing smile, Mom asks: __"Does this have anything to do with a certain girl, with blonde hair and blue-green eyes?"_

_A small smile crept onto Rex's face as he nodded his head. It was the same smile that would always come to his face when Tara was even mentioned. It was undeniably clear to Mom that her son was truly in love. _

"_Well, I think the first sign was how everything seemed brighter in the world. I would almost be climbing the walls, when I knew I was going to see him. I could never see another man even being able to compare to him. His voice became like music to me, and I'd think about him constantly. Even now, almost twenty-one years later; I still feel the same way. Does that help you any?" _

"_Yeah, Mom; it does."__ Rex asked with a contemplative expression on his face. _

"_Well supper's ready, if you're hungry." __Mom said as she got up from her position on the bed._

"_Actually, I think I'm going to skip it. I have an errand I have to run."__Rex said, as he too got up. _

"_Alright, just don't be out too late." __Mom said as she watched Rex put on his favorite black jacket and pull the keys for his hotrod out of his pocket._

_With a smile, Rex walked out the door and out to his car. Starting it up, Rex backs down the driveway and peels out down the street towards the city._

Mom found out the next day that Rex had gotten Tara a ring that night. Two days after her conversation with Rex, he had surprised Tara by getting down on one knee and professing his love by asking her to marry him.

Wiping the small tear that had escaped her eye away, Mom closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep. After all she had to get up early if she wanted to make it home by tomorrow afternoon to be able to go with the family to the cemetery.

TBC

* * *

Ok, I know this chapter is short. But I specifically chose Spritle, Sparky, and Mom for this chapter for one reason: in any version of Speed Racer, you never see just where their emotions are when it comes to Rex.

Spritle is always the silly little boy, who is portrayed as never knowing or at least caring that his oldest brother is gone.

Sparky in the movie is portrayed as being approximately Rex's age, but the only scene that he shows any type of emotion concerning Rex's death is during the Casa Cristo at the ice caves, by way of a somber nod to confirm that it was where Rex died.

Mom, while she shed a tear during a flashback, she never gets a scene with Rex; the closest in the movie is the flashback of when Speed flipped the Mach 4. When Rex and Speed just arrived home and Mom was shocked at the sight of an injured Speed and Rex.


	6. Chapter 6

The moon light illuminated the metal track at Thunderhead just enough to reveal a yellow and black race car flying around the curves with the skill that comes from years of practice and experience.

Tonight; however, there was an edge of aggressiveness that demonstrated the driver's anger and frustration. This was the one place Racer X could fully release the anger and frustration that had plagued him since his meeting with the inspector this afternoon.

Almost without warning, another set of headlights appear in X's rear view mirror. The other car catches up quickly, navigating the track like a pro.

Recognizing a challenge, X stomps on the gas; reaching a speed to where one wrong move would surely be his death. The other car seems unfazed by this, as it picks up speed at nearly the same pace.

X slows for Crusher's Corner before punching it for the jump. Once again the other car follows effortlessly. After landing, X keeps the car at a reasonable pace; allowing the other car to catch up to him. The only thing he can make out in the darkness; however, is that the car is either black or dark blue.

Tonight, X is not in the mood for the cat and mouse game the two cars are currently engaged in; and twists his wheel to spin the Shooting Star into the other car. The other driver once again seems unfazed by X's actions, and mimics them with a hit of their own.

The game of tag continues for several minutes, neither of them giving an inch; as the drivers seem evenly matched in both skills and daring. Finally the other driver gets the upper hand in the game and hits the Shooting Star in the back fender, causing it to spin.

Once X regained control of the car, he notices the other car stopped a few feet away at the finish line. The figure of the other driver is leaning against the fender of their car, fully cloaked in the shadows of the stands. Climbing out of the Shooting Star, X comes to stand beside it as he leans on the fender as well.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," The figure says with a tone of sarcastic impatience in it's voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" X reacts a little sharply. "What are you doing here?"

The figure doesn't seem to take offense at the bluntness. In fact, it seems perfectly at ease with the demon in black as it is still leaning against the car. "I figured you'd be here." The figure responded with a shrug of the shoulders.

"How'd you know that? Have been waiting for me?"

"Yeah, since about nine o'clock." The figure responds, not bothering to answer the first question. "The inspector called me, he said he was worried about you. He also said you done a number on the office today."

"The inspector worries to much." X commented, more to himself than anyone else.

"He carries about you and worried about possible setbacks for you. Care to share what happened to set off the volcano?"

"He's out." Was all Racer X could bring himself to say.

"I know." The figure's tone noticeably softening. "The Inspector told me that as well. That's how I knew you would come here eventually; after stopping at the grave site of course."

"It's tomorrow too."

"Yeah; I figured part of the meltdown was tied to that. Unfortunately, the department shrinks don't even know where to begin in helping a person deal with the day they died." The figure said. The glint of humor in the tone of it's voice was noticeably forced; as if trying to make light of the day of the accident.

An awkward silence follows as both seem to be testing the ground of the conversation. Finally the cloaked figure seems to find their voice first. "You still blame yourself for what happened, don't you?"

"What other choice do I have?" X asked, an emotional undertone cut the words like a blade.

"Blame the people responsible. You weren't one of them."

"That's easy for you to say, you weren't there when it happened." X responded, his temper raising. It was only after X had said it, did he realize the sting in his words. When he saw the stiffing in the figure's shoulders that he regretted his words. But before he could take it back, the figure spoke, it's voice amazingly calm and controlled.

"Obviously you don't want to talk to me right now, so I'll leave. You know how to get in contact with me when you're ready to talk." The figure says as it moves to get back into it's car. With in minutes, the engine roars to life. There's a noticeable pause before the tires squall and the car takes off; disappearing into the night from which it came.

Getting back into the Shooting Star, X contemplates his next move for a moment. It is then that he realized just how tired he is. Starting the car, X realizes there is nothing more he can do on his cases tonight and decides to go home.

* * *

The next morning Rex woke up with his whole body is sore; not only from last night, but the phantom migraine that always seemed to plaque him in the mornings was especially strong this morning.

Reaching out to the nightstand beside his bed, Rex grabs the medicine bottle that is sitting on top of it. Opening the bottle, he removes two white pills and pops them into his mouth as he replaces the cap.

Since he didn't have to go anywhere that morning, Rex just lays on the bed; his left hand resting on his bare chest, eyes closed. As the medicine began to do it's work in his system, Rex opened his eyes. After they adjusted to the morning sunlight that streamed in through the window above him; he noticed the reflection patterns on the ceiling.

Lifting his hand from his chest, Rex began studying his left hand, where a thin gold band was still on his ring finger. He absently stroked the ring with his thumb as he thought about the day that Tara had slipped it on his finger.

As Rex remained lost in his thoughts, the weight of the day's significance weighs heavily on his mind.

Rex doesn't really remember much of the accident; only that: he and Tara had been in his car as they drove back from a race. He had been driving, when he suddenly noticed that the brakes weren't feeling right; after that his memory was only a blur, the only thing he was slightly conscious of was the water. Even to this day, how he had managed to survive remained elusive to his mind.

He had spent three weeks on critical life support, that much he had been told. After he regained consciousness, Rex discovered his family thought he was dead; and that a body had been buried in his place.

It was shortly after regaining consciousness that he first met the man who introduced himself as 'Inspector Detector'. At first, Rex had been highly unimpressed with the man, who seemed to be the cause of his family believing him to be dead; and infuriated when his questions about Tara seemingly fell on deaf ears.

After a few days, however; Rex had began to think about what the Inspector had told him about the crash that Rex realized just how much his life was in danger. The next morning, Rex had told the Inspector that he was willing to work with him and do whatever was necessary to bring the people responsible for the crash to justice. It was then that the Inspector shared with him Tara's fate.

Suddenly, Rex was jarred out of his thoughts when his cell phone on the night stand rang. Picking it up, Rex flipped open the phone, already knowing that it was going to be bad news.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

The air was cool and damp, as if it had just stopped raining. Speed wandered aimlessly, his feet crunching through the soppy, mossy ground. He hears the sound of voices ahead of him. Moving closer to the sound, Speed comes to a stop at the sight in front of him.

In a clearing stood a crowd of people dressed in black. As he studied the faces in the crowd, Speed is shocked to see that he recognizes everyone in the crowd. And the realization hits him, he sees people in the crowd that had died years ago.

His grandparents are standing next to each other; His Uncle Henry is standing next to his cousin Hank, seemingly supporting him. As Speed approaches the front of the crowd, he is shocked to see his parents; his eleven year old self is standing in front of Pops, Mom is holding one year old Spritle.

Turning Speed sees two caskets, side-by-side, resting on the internment platforms. In his heart he knew exactly who was in the caskets without looking at the headstone. It was Rex and Tara's funeral.

Speed stares at the caskets for several moments before turning to find the crowd gone. Looking around he notices that everything has changed.

He is no longer standing in the cemetery, watching a funeral from years ago. But he is standing on a lonely road, it is dark and raining. Suddenly to his right, he hears the sound of raging water. Then, coming over the hill, Speed can see headlights approaching.

He knows what is going to see next. But he can't stop the shock that grips his entire being as he watches the red car that is approaching, suddenly swerve; tires squall as they try to slow on the wet pavement to no avail. As if watching a movie, everything goes quiet as the brakes fail.

Speed is unable to move as he watches the car try to make the turn on the bridge. But the car is going too fast and the road is too wet. It busts through the barrier as if it was made of aluminum foil and crashes into the raging river below. The car instantly swallowed by the rushing water. Speed looks desperately for any signs of the cars' occupants coming to the surface, but all he sees are the large bubbles from the air leaving the sinking car.

Speed attempts to jump in after the car. But it's as if his body is made of stone as it doesn't obey his commands to move. Then the bubbles stop and Speed nearly screams in anguish as he knows that there is no longer any hope.

Speed bolted upright, breathing heavily. His body was soaked in sweat, and his heart pounded against his ribs; his ears ringing from the blood rushing through them. He hadn't had nightmare that bad about the accident since he was a kid.

Getting up from the bed, Speed stumbles into the master bathroom. Once Speed reaches the bathroom, he's dizzy and feels like he is about to vomit. For a while he just stood bent over the basin, and braced himself on the counter; arms stiff and hands firmly planted, stance wide. He was breathing hard as he tried to calm himself.

Finally, his body calms itself and the wave of nausea passes. Turning on the cold water, Speed cups his hands and brings the water up to splash his face, then runs his still wet hands over the back of his neck.

Sinking weakly to the floor, Speed rests his back on the cabinet behind him as the tears gathered in his eyes and a familiar pain spread from the pit of his stomach to encompass his entire chest and abdomen.

Although no one ever said it, Speed knew that if it hadn't been for his race the next day then Rex would've never have tried to take that road. He would have waited it out; stayed where he was, until the safer route opened.

But Rex had promised Speed before they had even left that they would be back to see him race for the championship. And Rex hated breaking promises, so Speed knew that Rex was doing what he could to keep his promise. For years Speed had blamed himself for the accident.

And things had only gone from bad to worse, when Inspector Detector had come to their house and explained that the investigation into the accident had turned up some evidence of tampering with Rex's brake line and the car's safety systems.

But the Inspector could never find enough evidence to prove exactly who was responsible for the apparent sabotage. The family couldn't even put a name on the suspect list, as they were clueless as to who would want Rex and Tara dead.

TBC

_I know it's short, but my ADD brain has finally come back to this story. I hope it will be able to continue, before it moves to another story idea. _


	8. Chapter 8

The sun arose over the city painting the sky shades of light blue and lavender. The skyline lit up by the sun reflecting on the glass windows of the buildings. The birds chirping as a sign of life renewed. But for the Racer family, thoughts this morning were of lives spent.

Spritle had returned very early that morning and after putting away his dirt bike, he had simply removed his riding gear and crashed on the couch in the living room.

Pops had gotten up with the sun. When he finds Spritle lying on the couch, Pops just covers him up with the afghan that lies on the back of the couch. Pops then heads into the kitchen and begins to make the morning pot of coffee. Normally the burly car designer would have already had his morning coffee; but since he didn't have to be anywhere till later Pops was taking his time this morning.

Besides holidays, this was the one day of the year that Pops' Motors closed for. Pops had made the point clear that the company would be closed on the anniversary of Rex's and Tara's death; today was a day of reflection and remembrance, not work.

Truth be told; Pops would never admit to the fact that he is unable to concentrate on anything, but the significance of this day. And it didn't help that one of the last times he had seen Rex had been in the shop just before he and Tara had left for that last race.

Rex had stopped by the shop that day to get the Mach 4 loaded into the hauler that Sparky would be driving. He had also wanted to look over the plans for a new car that he and Tara had been designing.

They had also set out to build what they had dubbed the perfect car; one that could not only put every other car in the WRL to shame. But it could also give the Blue Star and the Mach 4 a run for their money. The car, dubbed the Cyclone, had been in the final planning stages. And Pops had just given them the go ahead, after his close inspections of the designs; to begin the preparations for the building of the car when the accident happened.

After the funeral, Hank and Sparky had decided to go through with the build as a memorial to Rex and Tara. But they could never find the plans. The folder that they had been in had disappeared; and someone had hacked into Rex's computer at the shop and messed up all of the files. Even after going through Rex and Tara's apartment, they never found the plans or any clue about were they had been placed or who might have messed with Rex's computer.

Mom got back home around mid-morning. And after a light lunch everyone got into various cars to go to the cemetery.

Once the family got back to Mom and Pops house after visiting the cemetery, they gathered in the living room to watch old home movies. It was a tradition that didn't seem to be in need of reminder. It always started with one person, normally Mom or Pops, putting in the movie and then everyone just seemed to join them.

The first one was of Rex and Tara's wedding. Spritle especially watched with interest, hoping to see the moment that had been captured in the photo he had stared at last night. But like every other time he seen the wedding video, that particular moment happened off camera.

There were other movies the family watched that day; of birthdays and other holidays; races and victories. They laughed and passed the tissue box to catch the tears. After almost three hours they finally got to the last one.

The last movie was one that Hank had made after the accident and was a collage of clips from various recordings of Rex and Tara.

The first clip was one of Rex, Speed and Pops fishing at the reservoir near their house. The reservoir was also the local swimming hole with a dock to jump from and the mandatory swing rope. Rex had taught Speed how to swim there when Speed was six. Rex had basically carried him out into the water and tossed him a few feet away. And even though Rex stayed with him, it was up to Speed to get himself back to shore. By the end of the day, Speed had been jumping off the end of the dock.

Then there was a video of Rex on his own dirt bike. He was fifteen in the video and looked almost exactly like Spritle did now.

Everyone laughed as they watched Rex and Speed spraying Tara and Trixie with water guns during a family barbeque; only to have the girls retaliate with the hose and a bucket of water. That, of course, triggered a full blown water war that had ended with almost every one soaked and laughing.

Mom dabbed the tears from her eyes as they watched the recording of Rex proposing to Tara. Rex had sent Tara on a scavenger hunt all over town, finding the clues and roses he had left for her at every stop; with Sparky and Hank secretly following her and reporting back to Rex on her progress. The game ended with Tara going to the banquet hall of the restaurant that they had their first date. There Rex was waiting with a single red rose and a small diamond ring; with the rest of the family hidden out of sight. They watched as Rex handed Tara the rose just before lowering himself to one knee and pledging his love. Tara's hand was visibly shaking when Rex took it and slipped the small gold band on her finger.

When the video of Tara sharing a dance with Spritle at the wedding reception began to play caused everyone to laugh. Tara was holding Spritle as they twirled to the music.

It was followed by video of Rex playfully wrestling with Speed and Spritle as he allowed his younger brothers to pin him down, even though he could easily lift both of them off of him. Rex's laugh was contagious and even watching the video now the family had to laugh

Then a video Rex and Tara sharing their first dance began to play.

The video ended with a still frame of a picture of Rex and Tara standing together. Rex had his arms resting on Tara's shoulders as he stood behind her; her fingers laced with his. Looking closely, everyone could see the thin gold ring on Rex's left hand; and the two rings on Tara's.

No one said anything as Pops got up to turn off the TV. Every one dispersed to go about their own activities, but as they went about their own tasks the predominant thought of everyone was on the significance of the day.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

On the day of the race, the excitement in the air was almost tangible. Reporters seemed to be everywhere that day, hoping to get interviews with the teams as they prepped for the race; but no team was targeted by the media entourage like the Go team was; as the reporters were practically camped outside the team garage.

"_All teams report to your positions for the start of the race." _The announcer's voiced boomed over the loud speakers; signaling the prep countdown of twenty minutes to finish any last minute adjustments before the start of the race.

Speed and Trixie left the garage together hand in hand, with Victoria settled on Speed's hip with her tiny arms wrapped around Speed's neck, as the press snapped pictures like crazy.

"Here it comes," Speed mumbled as he continued to smile.

"Just answer their questions and get it over with." Trixie mumbled back as they moved through the crowd of reporters towards the team pit.

"Speed, do you think you'll have a good run today?" A reporter shouted his question above all the others.

"The Mach 5 is in excellent condition, all we can hope for is good weather conditions and a good race." Speed said hoping they'd hurry up with the questions.

"Are you concerned about the threat of rain?" Another reporter asked, jumping at Speed's comment about the weather conditions.

"I think that all the teams are equally concerned. If the course becomes wet, it can cause trouble with traction."

"Are you concerned about crashing like Rex did?" a woman with a nasally voice asked. Speed had known that question was coming with the line of questioning the reporters were taking, but it still took a moment to recover from the emotions that came with it.

"No comment." Was all Speed could answer as he began moving through the crowd again; signaling the end of the interview. Security holding the press back, so the family can get to the Racer Motors pit.

"Just shake it off." Trixie whispered in his ear after they got through the crowd. Speed only gave a nod of acknowledgement.

Once they arrived in the pit, Sparky and Spritle were getting the car into position. Trixie got her headset from the pit overlook. She checked the battery and attached the transmitter to her belt. She also got her and Sparky's monitors ready for the race.

As Trixie was getting her communicator ready for the race, Speed went over to the pit wall that separated the pit crews from the spectators. Detaching Victoria from his hip, Speed sat her down on the pit wall.

"Are we going to win today?" Speed asked.

"Yea!"

"And why's that?"

"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose." Victoria said, repeating the Racer family motto.

"Can't lose." Speed repeated as he lowered his head so that both of their foreheads were touching. Then pulling back, Speed remembers the next part in their pre-race routine. "Good luck kiss."

Victoria wraps her tiny arms around Speed's neck and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. After that, Speed lifts Victoria over the wall to where Mom Racer was waiting; before turning and heading to the car.

Pops and Mom Racer, with Victoria, were sitting with some other important people in the racing world. Leaving Sparky, Trixie, and Spritle to stay and run the pit.

The memorial race was a road race, meaning he was driving the Mach 5. But this race had a rule of no navigators; this was a race specifically for drivers. But it had become a personal tradition of his and Trixie's that while Sparky was doing his final check, Trixie accompanied him to the car.

Once Speed was in the Mach 5, Trixie secured the safety harness and went over the car's safety systems. It always helped to ease her mind knowing that she had checked the safety systems personally just before each race; as there were a lot of cheaters in the field that would try anything to win.

When everything was secure, Speed and Trixie would always share a passionate good luck kiss. When they broke apart, Trixie moved out of the way and closed the door on the Mach 5, securing the safety lock that was especially for races.

Speed reached over to the passenger seat where his helmet was sitting. Putting on the helmet, he made sure that it was secure; then he plugged in his communicator.

"Trixie, give me a sound check."

"Check 3, 2, 1. Can you hear me?" Trixie's voice came over the ear piece.

"Loud and clear, Trix."

"_All teams to your final positions for the start." _The announcer's voice came again; signaling the end of the prep time and the start of the race.

Unlike the track car, the Mach 5 had a key start; so Sparky went to his position in the pit and watched as Speed started the Mach 5 and revved the engine several times, prepping it for the race. Like Trixie, Sparky checked his communicator; making sure everything was ready for the race.

Inside the Mach 5, Speed starts the motor; but just sits there for a moment listening closely to the sound of the engine; feeling the vibration of the motor. He tilted his head slightly to the side and closed his eyes as he concentrated only on the comforting feeling and sound of the powerful motor.

Speed always took this moment to clear his head and concentrate on the track. He reached up and touched breast pocket of his racing uniform, inside it was a photo that he always raced with. Speed opened his eyes just as the other cars were finished staging themselves.

"Wish me luck, Rex." Speed whispered under his breath as he watched the start tree's lights come on.

_Note: Speed and Trixie's race tradition comes from a drag racing tradition where, depending on personal preference and car division, a member of the driver's start crew will secure the safety systems on the car and make sure the driver's safety harness is securely fastened before each race. I also allowed the use of car telemetry during a race. In real life, the use of telemetry equipment is banned in an actual race; it can only be used in practice runs. _


End file.
